CHIMAERA
OK REAL QUICK THIS IS HOW CHIMAERA WORK the origins: * KMV-199 is the name of the specific specimen that currently exists in the world in a way that is vaguely trackable. there is thought to be hundreds of different strains that have been scattered throughout the world, but KMV-199 is the brand that is mutating humans * echidna's comet, the asteroid KMV was found on, was what housed the parasite and brought it to earth. * it is suspected that this is a species that came from ?????whereverthefuck and that, by the nature of the species, it is completely unsustainable on its own, hence the way it latches onto and forces its host into a symbiotic relationship. the most popular theory is that it is literally a virus spreading throughout the dimensions considering there really was only a small sample originally, and that it can be found in other places of the universe too, latching onto any life it can and struggling to adapt * it was housed both on and inside the asteroid. while the main attack on its researchers was at the danger site, later scientists were also gravely affected while trying to take the asteroid apart the virus: * all strains of KMV latch onto a host in a multitude of different ways. it can be found present in the blood, in the bone and brain matter, and other various tissues of the victim. because of this, coming in contact with any bodily fluids can and will spread the 'virus'. * however, the full effects do not set in automatically. KMV needs to weave itself entirely into its victim, down to the dna that makes them up * because of this, the first to be infected will never become a full chimaeran host. they will reap some of the negative effects but never the positives. for example, the cannibalistic hunger that the KMV parasite injects into its victims is always present in the first injected, but none of the superhuman strength or supernatural abilities. * after the generational line is infected, KMV spreads through procreation. the second in the line gets the full effects, and every kin after will also be born a chimaeran host. * however, the degree of mutation varies depending on what strain it is and how pure of a specimen it is the generations: * KMV purity is catergorized in 'generations'. this is in reference both to lineage and how chimaeran clans are made up on earth, and in exactly what that particular strain had come in contact with * there are 5 generations in total, with the most pureblooded making up the rare first generation, and the most common and unremarkable being the fifth. the fifth generation is not considered sentient and currently is not known to be any sort of threat to any forms of life. * so: first generation is almost always completely human aside from very few mutations but hold the most abstract, psychic-based powers. second generation is still mostly human, more mutations, and a similar but less powerful range of psychic abilities. third generation is a mix between human and animal (and sometimes, though rarely, plant). their abiities tend to be more physical and grounded, although supernatural abilities may also be present. the fourth generation is almost entirely animal (canine-types being the most common) and almost never have any sort of supernatural ability asides from the standard strength they adopt. the fifth generation is made up of plant matter and is seen as harmless and also completely unavoidable. * the generations work as follows: KMV is theorized to absorb the dna structure of anything it comes in contact with, which it in turn infects. if a strain had come in contact with animal or plant dna, it will hold it within it, and will possibly use parts of what it 'remembers' of its previous hosts in the process of mutating the current one. * stronger strains (generations 1 and 2 most notably) also have the ability to absorb concepts and ideas. memories, emotions, everything that makes up the human brain, it’s able to use the information that’s stored within brain matter and actually create based off that information rather than just copypasting something that already exists. that’s how it creates powers within a chimaera, because it’s taken something from within the host’s subconscious and twisted it and built on it until it was something tangible and powerful. * it is because of this reality-bending power that pureblooded chimaera are greatly regarded as gods. the first generation is also almost entirely made up of descendants of echidna, the first chimaera and one of the scientists who originally discovered the KMV parasite. the catalyst * a 'catalyst' is a placeholder name for a chimaeran host with an inactive, dormant parasite within them. unevolved, chimaera are quite harmless, and usually are only distinguished by the occasional mutations that they could be born with, that aren't nearly as dramatic as their active counterparts. * minor mutations may include: skin color, eye color, too few or too many body parts, body parts that mimic other animals or plants, or any other unusual feature that otherwise does not belong * catalysts are not capable of using any of their chimaeran powers. they also, usually, do not hold any of the hunger. if unmutated, it is actually quite impossible to tell the difference between a catalyst and a human being. * however, catalysts are always capable of evolving at a moment's notice * except for in rare cases (as seen in first gen chimaera), it is impossible for a chimaera to revert back to its catalyst state after evolution * the idea of 'curing' chimaera, however, is hoped to be possible precisely because of the repression that is capable in notable chimaera (caleb petrikov, for one) * technically, most if not all of the population is a catalyst on some level. it is suspected that the KMV strain has spread throughout too many food sources, as it can be housed in plants and animals, but the strain itself is too weak to be of any effect unless a more direct strain finds a way to come in contact with it the evolution * evolution happens whenever the KMV parasite senses a threat, and senses a need to violently adapt and overpower said threat * in that case, it is incorrect to label the parasite as 'dormant', as it is actively and constantly evaluating the area and waiting for the right moment to instinctively activate and assert its dominance * evolution appears to be an incredibly painful process of rapid mutation that forces the host's dna past the brink. because of the energy required to evolve, immediately after a chimaera evolves, it is forced into a bloodthirsty frenzy in an attempt to recharge and recover what energy it had spent * after the first feast, the chimaera is usually able to calm down the chimaera: * on their own, chimaera are very simple. most in the top tier generational group tend to keep most if not all of their sentience and can still think and feel for themselves * however, they are driven by the KMV parasite's 'instinct', which is currently unaffected by human morality. while they tend to be less rabid unless starvation hits, they are indifferent to human life and tend to adopt the mindset of a predator * it is suspected that the parasite itself can communicate directly with its host, but more information is needed on the subject * a chimaera usually can only barely sustain going a few days without fresh meat, as the KMV parasite demands too much from the body. if starved, a chimaera will literally turn to devouring itself in an attempt to keep itself going * chimaera are decently social, especially one that had been born from a human. they sometimes form 'clans' and hunt in packs together, as long as they are hunting for similar flesh. chimaera seem to be unable to process the meat of another creature, making it almost completely cannibalistic the criminals: * as most active chimaeran hosts were originally human at some point, some think it right to treat them as such. therefore, most chimaera who are considered sentient are charged for the crimes they commit in their evolved state * however, to keep them seperate from humanity as a whole, they are classified and given labels based off their powers * for example, the number one most wanted chimaera is dubbed 'the hydra' for what seems to be a neverending stream of black tendril-based powers * usually chimaera are classified after collection, unless they are dangerous enough to need to be tracked, in which case, they are labeled on the spot by whoever discovered their existence first